Sap from invasive weed in Sask. can burn skin

If you want proof of Mother Nature's wrath, look no further than the wild parsnip in Saskatchewan.

While it sounds like an innocent vegetable, it's actually a weed with devilish properties.

If you gently rub against it, the effects are like poison ivy. If you try to pull it, you could suffer ill health effects for the next three years, according to Chet Neufeld, Chair of the Saskatchewan Invasive Species Council and Treasurer of the Canadian Council on Invasive Species.

"You'd get something similar to a third-degree burn. So you'd have oozing, open sores, and blistering. And these side effects could continue up to three years," Neufeld told CBC Saskatchewan's Afternoon Edition.

He says you'd have to stay out of the sun for those three years, too. Any time your skin would be exposed to sun, the effects would recur.

You'd get something similar to a third-degree burn. So you'd have oozing, open sores, and blistering. And these side effects could continue up to three years.- Chet Neufeld, Chair of the Saskatchewan Invasive Species Council 

Wild parsnip has spread across the province, with the worst area being between Saskatoon and Prince Albert in the Duck Lake area. 

If you got the oil from the plant on your hands and rubbed your eyes, it would feel like pepper spray and could cause temporary blindness. 

"It's definitely not a plant to be taken lightly."

He says it's a danger to livestock and pets as well. Animal skin reacts to the plant the same as that of humans. If livestock eat the plant, their weight gain and fertility are reduced.

Neufeld says it's bad for the environment, too, because it's aggressive and displaces beneficial plants. When that happens, animals avoid the area.

He says don't attempt to remove the plant yourself. Cities and towns have weed inspectors you can call if you spot the weed. If you live in a rural area where there is no weed inspector, you can contact the Agriculture Knowledge Centre and they can provide information on how to control the weed.

Ottawa woman has run-in with the weed

Wild parsnip is a problem across Canada. Recently a gardener near Ottawa, Sherry Steeves, had a run-in with the weed. 

"About eight hours later I noticed I had three holes that looked like sirloin steak," said Steeves. "My whole thigh was all blistered and swollen. Very hot, like burning."

The toxins in the plant's sap can create what is known as phytophotodermatitis - basically an extreme sensitivity to sunlight.

The effects of the toxins are not felt immediately but once activated by UV rays, they can damage skin cells and cause lesions that look similar to burns.

Her doctor has told her to stay out of the sun for three years.